


Right From the Start (You Know I Got You)

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Best Friends, Boys Kissing, Bullying, Crushes, Divorce, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, It's Harry's parents, Louis has a girlfriend for like a minute, M/M, Protective Louis, Stan is jealous of Harry, and then another one for even shorter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:43:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3732757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis grows up protecting Harry. Harry loves him for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Right From the Start (You Know I Got You)

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so the title is from the Zayn demo "I Won't Mind". It was too perfect to pass up. Also, I'll always support all of my boys even when they aren't together anymore. Nothing but love here.
> 
> Massive ultra special thanks to my lovely betas: [dramaturgicallycorrect](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaturgicallycorrect/pseuds/dramaturgicallycorrect), [catbixby2060](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bixcattv/pseuds/catbixby2060)and combo beta/brit-picker [louissass](http://archiveofourown.org/users/louissass/pseuds/louissass)  
> who always know what my stories need and don't hesitate to make suggestions. If you enjoy this, it's 95% likely that it's their fault.

They are six and eight when they meet.

Harry Styles is outside in his garden playing with his big sister’s dolls. He likes them better than his action figures. They have actual hair that he can play with and come with different clothes that he can change them into. His action figures are stuck the way they came. Endlessly unchanging.

Harry’s mom is in the kitchen, keeping an eye through the window over the sink as she makes dinner. Satisfied that Harry is happy where he is, lovingly brushing the hair of his favourite of Gemma’s dolls, she turns away for a few minutes to prepare some veggies for their meal. She can’t watch him every single second. She doesn’t hear the bullies from Harry’s school who come closer to make fun of him for playing with girl toys.

The boys that step into Harry’s garden on their way to wherever they’re headed are older, ten or so, and all they think when they look at Harry are words like _weak_ and _soft_. Words that they’ve been taught should never apply to a boy. So they make it their mission to _teach_ Harry not to be these words. They pull the doll from his hands and toss her around to each other carelessly. They push Harry down when he cries at them to be careful with her, pin him to the ground when he asks them to please give her back, ignore him completely when tears make their way down his cheeks as he begs them to leave him alone.

Louis Tomlinson lives across the street from Harry. He sees the kid playing outside a lot and wants to go ask him to play with him because Louis’ only got his little sister to play with and she’s too small to play anything really fun. He loves her but he wants to play with someone closer to his own age and his best friend Stan lives too far away to play with whenever he wants to. The only problem is that the Styles kid lives _across the street_ and Louis isn’t allowed to cross the street on his own. Well, that and Mrs. Styles doesn’t like him. Louis has been in a bit of trouble before. He gets into fights at school sometimes. The grownups don’t listen to him when he tells them that it’s not his fault though. He’s just standing up for himself against the same bullies that are bothering Harry now. They know better than to mess with Louis anymore but he has to watch helplessly as they torment the poor boy across the street.

Louis thinks about running to get his mother but they have Harry on the ground now and Louis is afraid of what they might do to him. He doesn’t have time to waste. So, he makes sure that he looks both ways first, and then he crosses the street, jumping to Harry’s aid.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, Holloway?” Louis taunts as he steps into Harry’s yard.

The boy, the obvious leader of the group, turns at Louis’ voice with a sneer on his face. “Why don’t you find me someone my own size, pipsqueak?”

“Leave him alone.” Louis says, undeterred by the bigger boy’s insults.

“What are you gonna do about it?” One of Holloway’s underlings teases from the sidelines.

“Yeah, pipsqueak, what are you gonna do?” Holloway repeats but Louis notices that he doesn’t make a move to get closer. He’s grandstanding. Trying to look cool in front of his friends, not actually threatening Louis. Because as big as the kid is, Louis can take him in a fight. Louis knows how to play dirty.

He’s trying to decide how to react. He’s pretty smart for an eight year old and he doesn’t want to give the bully a reason to remember this moment later, doesn’t want him trying to take his anger at Louis besting him out on Harry when Louis isn’t around to help him. So, his only option is to make it look like it’s Holloway’s decision to leave instead of like Louis is making him. He doesn’t get the chance to implement his plan though before Harry’s mother is rushing out of the house to chase them away with a broom.

“Get out of here!” she shouts at them, swiping the broom in Louis’ direction because he’s the only one that hasn’t had the presence of mind to run.

“But—“ He starts but she’s swinging the broom at him again.

“If I ever catch you on my land again…”

Louis doesn’t hear the rest of her threat. He’s too busy running.

When he gets to his door, Louis turns to see Mrs. Styles wrapping her arms around the teary-eyed six year old and shakes his head. Grownups will never listen to a kid like Louis.

Later, Mrs. Styles and Harry show up at Louis’ door with apology/thank you brownies. Mrs. Styles apologises to Louis for assuming he was with the other boys, she just saw a bunch of bigger kids around a crying Harry and assumed the worst until Harry told her what happened.

Louis gets in trouble when his mom finds out he crossed the street by himself, but it comes with a hug from Harry and an invitation to their house any time he wants to play with the younger boy, so it’s totally worth it.

Louis’ mom walks him to Harry’s house nearly every day from then on. Harry is fun to play with. He likes playing aliens and astronauts with Louis and Louis doesn’t mind playing dolls with Harry when the younger boy asks.

Louis doesn’t get to see Harry at school much but when he does, he always keeps an eye on him. Protects him from any lurking danger from Holloway and his minions. It’s his responsibility. He’s going to take care of Harry as long as he’ll let him.

 

~@~

 

They are eleven and thirteen when Harry’s parents go through a rocky divorce.

Harry spends a lot of time at Louis’ house. He’s always spending the night, even on school nights, and both of their mothers allow it because they know how hard it is on Harry to see bits and pieces of his life being carried off as his father packs them up and takes them to wherever he’s going to live now.

Stan gets jealous of how close Louis and Harry are getting but Louis isn’t going to let Harry deal with this alone. He doesn’t know why his two best friends have never really bonded before but Louis tries to get them to interact with each other more, to find common ground and grow to like each other as much as he likes both of them. Unfortunately, Harry’s too sad most of the time and Stan isn’t up to making much effort for the boy that’s ‘stealing his best friend’ away. Louis has told Stan countless times how ridiculous he’s being, but the stubborn idiot won’t budge, just sulks whenever Louis mentions Harry.

Stan ends up turning down most of Louis’ attempts to hang out with him for a while, before ignoring him completely, and it really does feel like the end of a friendship. He’s _not going to play second fiddle to anyone_ , he tells Louis on one of his particularly sulky days, _least of all a scrawny eleven year old who still plays with his sister’s dolls_. Louis doesn’t know why it feels like Stan is insulting him personally, but it does, and that’s the important thing.

It probably should hurt more, losing his best friend practically since birth, but Louis knows that even this doesn’t begin to compare to what Harry’s feeling. So he pushes his own pain aside and uses the time freed up by Stan’s absence to focus more on helping Harry.

Louis does everything he can think of to draw a smile to Harry’s face. He makes ridiculous faces and tells terrible jokes (Harry’s favourite). He wears silly clothes and acts like outlandish characters, which bear an uncanny resemblance to Robin Hood or Peter Pan, but Louis insists that Shobin Shood of Shockley and John Kettle are entirely his own creations. It always works. Harry always smiles, sometimes laughs. But the shine is gone from his eyes and Louis hates that, isn’t sure how to bring it back.

Sometimes at night, Harry wakes up crying. Louis usually sleeps through it and Harry prefers it that way because he doesn’t want Louis to think he’s a cry baby. He doesn’t want Louis to leave him the way his dad did, or the way that Stan left Louis. Harry carries some pretty heavy guilt about that. He knows for a fact that Stan stopped talking to Louis because of him, no matter how much Louis insists they merely drifted apart as they grew up and it wasn’t Harry’s fault at all. Sometimes he’s not sure if he’s crying for himself or for Louis.

Maybe this time it’s both, because he can’t seem to keep quiet enough and wakes up Louis.

“Harry?” Louis asks as his head raises from his pillow, eyes bleary as he takes in Harry’s hunched form sitting up with his arms around his knees.

Harry turns away so that Louis can’t see his face but the volume of his cries increase because even at this he’s failed. He can’t do anything right, can he? Maybe if he was better, he could get people to stick around.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Louis asks as he sits up and scoots closer on the bed they’ve been sharing lately.

Louis rubs a comforting hand up and down Harry’s back as he tries to calm down his distraught friend.

“I miss my dad,” Harry manages to get out between gasps, shoulders shaking with the force of his cries. It’s not the whole truth but it’s enough.

Louis pulls Harry close and wraps him in an embrace, making Harry rest his head on Louis’ shoulder and pressing his own face into Harry’s neck. “I know, Harry. I know. But it’ll be okay. You’ll still see him. It’ll all be okay.”

Louis whispers false promises into Harry’s skin until the boy falls asleep on his shoulder. Because Louis is still watching out for Harry, and giving him hope, even false, and helping him carry on is the best way Louis knows to protect him right now.

 

~@~

 

When Louis is fourteen, he gets his first girlfriend. Her name is Hannah and she’s a lovely girl. Twelve year old Harry likes her, too, which is a bonus for Louis. He’s already had one friend turn his back on him for getting close to someone else, and he doesn’t fancy going through that again, thanks. It’s great, though. He gets to hang out with his best friend _and_ his girlfriend at the same time and they all get along swimmingly.

But then Hannah wants to start hanging out with Louis alone. He agrees every now and then to keep her happy. And he gets it, _he does_. It would be weird to kiss and stuff in front of Harry. He feels awkward even when she just kisses his cheek when Harry is around. But he can’t just abandon Harry any time she wants to hang out. He knows that Harry still has issues from his father leaving and no matter how much he may like his girlfriend, his loyalty will always be to Harry.

Regrettably, Hannah can’t seem to understand the bond between the two boys. She starts to see Harry as an annoyance when they are all together. Louis sees the way that she rolls her eyes at Harry’s appearance, hears the way she patronisingly talks down to him. Of course, Harry doesn’t seem to notice. He’s too busy being lovely and believing the best in the girl.

So, the next time Harry isn’t around, Louis tries to diffuse the situation.

“Why don’t you like Harry?” Louis asks just when Hannah’s leaning in to kiss him from her seat next to him on his bed.

She pulls back with a huff. “Do we have to talk about _him_ , right now? We’re finally alone. Can’t we just enjoy it?”

Louis stops her from leaning in again by putting both hands on her shoulders.

“No. I want to talk about this. Harry is my best mate and I want to know why my girlfriend hates him.”

Hannah rolls her eyes. “I don’t hate him, okay? It’s just… he’s so _clingy_ , Lou. Why does he _always_ have to be here?”

Louis shoots Hannah an unimpressed look. “I thought I just told you, _he’s my best friend_. That’s why.”

“I get that,” she says, slumping back into the cushions. “But Delia is my best friend and you don’t see her hanging around, do you?”

“Well, bring her next time, if you want,” Louis answers with a shrug of his shoulders.

Hannah sighs and throws her head back in exasperation. “You don’t get it. I just want to be with _you_ sometimes, Louis. I want to feel like your girlfriend. Not just another mate that you’re hanging out with.”

Louis looks at her like she’s crazy. “You _are_ just with me sometimes. It’s just us right now, so what’s the problem?”

It’s Hannah’s turn to look unimpressed.

“You wanna know the problem, Louis? The problem is that when we _are_ alone, Harry’s all you talk about. And I’m not going to put up with it anymore. _I’m_ here, right now, Louis. So, pay attention to me, or prepare to be dumped.”

So, Louis gets dumped.

When Harry asks what happened Louis doesn’t tell him the truth. Harry doesn’t need to know that the break-up had anything to do with him. So, Louis lies and says that Hannah just didn’t like him anymore. He lets Harry cuddle him and try to comfort him despite the fact that he’s not all that bothered by the break-up. Because the truth is, Louis _was_ paying attention to Hannah. And he didn’t particularly like what he saw anymore.

Besides, anyone who doesn’t think Harry is the most awesome kid in the world, is obviously all wrong for Louis.

 

~@~

 

Fourteen seems to be a magic number when it comes to their love lives, because that’s how old Harry is when he admits to Louis that he’s got a crush on someone.

Louis is dating a girl named Eleanor now. She’s nice and she accepts Harry and the fact that he’s always around. So, of course, this makes Louis feel like an expert on love already and he badgers Harry to tell him who his crush is.

Harry won’t budge though, keeping the secret to himself no matter how much Louis begs to know who it is.

“It’s embarrassing,” Harry eventually tells Louis with flushed cheeks and a self-deprecating smile.

“What? You know you can tell me anything, Haz,” Louis argues. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“I know,” Harry answers but his eyes stay glued to his knees where he sits on his bed. “Still. I just don’t want to say.”

“Fine,” is Louis’ flippant reply. “Don’t tell your best friend. I don’t want to know anyway.”

Harry laughs, knowing full well what Louis is trying to do. Reverse psychology is not Louis’ strong suit.

“Alright, you got me, I’m dying to know!” Louis announces before pushing his way into Harry’s space and poking his fingers into Harry’s sides where he knows the boy is ticklish. “Better tell me or I’ll tickle it out of you.”

“No way!” Harry chokes out through his laughter.

“I’m not kidding. I won’t stop,” Louis warns, fingers still pressing into the soft flesh of Harry’s sides.

“I’m not telling.” Harry giggles, struggling to pull Louis’ hands free of his ribs. He snorts and writhes around, trying to get Louis’ fingers away, but his lips stay tightly shut, a sort of smug smile on his lips.

Finally, after tiring himself out, Louis pulls his hands away and sits next to his best mate. “C’mon, Hazza. Maybe I can help you out, be your wingman. Eleanor knows practically every girl at school. I’m sure we could get the attention of whoever she is on that adorable mug of yours.”

It doesn’t go unnoticed when Harry shrinks in on himself a bit, eyes back to his knees. Louis knows that posture. This is how Harry behaves when he thinks he’s done or said something wrong, when he’s afraid of telling Louis something. Louis can guess why he’s doing it now.

“It’s not a girl, is it?” He asks, putting his arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulling him close so that the younger lad knows he’s not upset about the prospect that Harry might be into boys.

Harry slowly raises his eyes to Louis’ and shakes his head, watching closely for Louis’ reaction.

“Haz, you know I don’t care about that, right? You could tell me that you were into mermaids or… trees and I wouldn’t even blink, mate. I won’t judge you for anything that you tell me. Best mates for life, yeah?” He smiles, squeezing Harry’s shoulders a little for comfort. Obviously he doesn’t know how Harry is feeling, but he can only imagine that telling your best friend you’re gay can be overwhelming and scary, make you feel vulnerable even, and if Louis knows anything about Harry, it’s that he doesn’t like feeling vulnerable or scared.

His promise coaxes a small smile from Harry.

“Trees?” He giggles, finally.

“What? I’ve heard it’s a thing,” Louis answers with a shrug of his shoulders before pinching Harry’s side. “Now, tell me who your crush is.”

“Nope,” Harry answers, but there’s mirth shining in his eyes now and Louis feels awesome for being able to put it there.

“Oh, come on!” Louis argues, moving like he’s going to tickle Harry again.

Harry sees the attack coming and runs from the room, already laughing. Louis follows, hot on his heels. And if he forgets to get answers from Harry, in favour of keeping the boy laughing, well, he’ll just figure it out later.

 

~@~

 

On Harry’s 16th birthday, Louis throws him a party.

Louis’ mom and step-dad clear out with Louis’ multitude of siblings just for the occasion.

Louis invites the entirety of Harry’s year at school with the exception of a few kids that tried to make a big deal of it when Harry came out last year. He even invites Eleanor because, despite the fact that they broke up quite a while back, they are still friends and she’s always liked Harry.

Harry has a blast, a constant smile on his face as he dances the night away with all of his favourite people (minus his mum, and he supposes Gemma is okay, too).

When the cake is brought out from the kitchen and Harry has to make his wish, he looks at Louis grinning happily back at him, closes his eyes, and wishes harder than he ever has before.

The party ends relatively early with Louis kicking people out at midnight. When the last of their classmates wish Louis a good night, he shuts the door behind them and leans back on it to rest. It takes a moment to realise that he’s alone.

He finds Harry outside in the garden, laying on the glistening grass with his hands behind his head as he watches the stars.

“Trying to sneak in another wish?” Louis teases as he joins Harry on the ground, resting his head on Harry’s elbow.

“If I was, I’d be making it right now,” Harry answers, pointing out a shooting star with the arm that Louis’ not using as a pillow.

He turns to Louis then and finds the older boy’s eyes shut, lips moving as he makes a wish of his own.

When Louis opens his eyes again, they turn to meet Harry’s.

“What did you wish for?”

“I wished that you had a more comfortable elbow,” Louis jokes, wiggling to get more comfortable.

“Oh.” Harry says, moving his arm so that Louis has to lift up for a second before he straightens it so that Louis can lay his head on the soft flesh of Harry’s bicep.

Louis hums appreciatively at the gesture and settles in again.

“Better?” Harry asks, looking at him seriously.

“Much.” Louis answers with a grin.

“Soooo, what did you wish for?” Harry repeats.

“What did _you_ wish for, Harold?” Louis retorts instead of answering.

“I can’t tell you! It won’t come true if I do.”

“Well, then I can’t tell you mine,” Louis huffs.

Harry scoffs, rolling his eyes before returning his gaze to the heavens.

They stay quiet for a few minutes. Just watching the stars and enjoying each other’s presence.

It’s Harry that breaks the silence.

“What am I gonna do next year, Lou?”

“What do you mean, Harry?”

Louis thinks he knows what Harry means but there are so many different ways to interpret the question, he needs a little clarification if he’s going to put Harry’s mind at ease.

“What am I gonna do without you? You’re going away to Uni before long. You’ll meet amazing people your own age and probably forget about me.”

Louis slaps Harry’s chest, ignoring Harry’s wince at the pain because, really, the dolt deserves it if he believes Louis could forget him so easily.

“Did you forget our deal, Harold?” Louis asks, sitting up and looking down on the younger boy. “Best mates for life. You are not getting out of this friendship quite so easily. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

Louis ends his rant with his arms crossed, lips together in an indignant pout.

Harry can’t help his grin at the look on Louis’ face.

“Good,” Harry states. “Because if you don’t come back and visit me, I’ll come there and drag you back.”

He grabs Louis’ arms and pulls suddenly, causing his mate to flail a bit and crash into his chest.

Louis pushes himself up, arms bracketing Harry’s head as he stares down at him.

“I’ll always come back. Someone’s got to protect you from the big, bad world,” Louis says jokingly, but it’s less a joke and more a promise.

Harry seems to understand this, staring back at Louis. Gaze just as intense.

“I’m a big boy, Louis. I can protect myself.”

Louis huffs in playful annoyance. “Then what could you possibly need me for?”

Harry bites his lip and closes his eyes for a second, as though praying for strength, willpower, _something_. Louis watches on in curiosity until Harry breathes heavily once through his nose, before his eyes re-open and Harry surges upward, catching Louis’ lips, soft and gentle, with his own. That’s all it is, a light pressure on Louis’ lips, but that one tender kiss moves mountains, changes worlds, _breathes_ _life_ into a boy that didn’t know he’d been drowning without it.

Louis pulls away, sitting up because he’s suddenly dizzy and he needs the ground to stop tilting beneath him.

“I’m sorry,” Harry starts, sitting up and reaching for Louis, scared of the rejection he’s certain he’s about to receive. “I didn’t-”

Louis doesn’t allow him to continue, reaching over and covering his mouth with a hand. “Don’t. Don’t ever apologise for that.”

Louis slips his other hand behind Harry’s head, cradling Harry’s neck as he presses their foreheads together. “I just... I didn’t know, Harry. Have you felt this way for long?”

Harry simply nods because Louis’ hand is still covering his mouth, his eyes glistening with love, fear, _hope_.

“I’m sorry,” Louis whispers, realising too late how the deflated tone of his voice sounds, when he sees Harry’s eyes close in defeat.

He could explain himself, tell Harry that it’s not a rejection. It’s acceptance. It’s “I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long”. But, instead of more talking, Louis removes his hand from Harry’s mouth to replace it with his lips, another gentle press. It’s careful and sweet, and miles better than any of the snogs Louis’ had in his short life. It’s the best, and it’s with _Harry_.

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” Louis whispers into Harry’s mouth before pulling back and gathering Harry into a tight hug.

Harry grins into his neck as he reveals “I got my wish”.

Louis laughs into Harry’s shoulder and tells him, “so did I”.

It’s not really a surprise then, when Louis announces his decision to take a gap year. He’d been planning on it anyway but now he has a solid reason to stay. He and Harry spend it planning their assault on the academic world together and basically just squeezing in every second that they can get alone. Sure, Louis will still have to go to uni a year sooner than Harry but he’ll be responsible for getting things in order for when Harry joins him.

After all, _someone’s_ got to keep an eye out for his boy. And he’s more than happy to do it himself, for as long as Harry will have him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is cross-posted on Tumblr for an anon who sent me a prompt. :)


End file.
